Text It
by Desktop Warrior
Summary: Is the person who hates writing the most the one who best understands what it means to write? Not starring any particular character, but includes appearances from most of the students.


**A/N:** Through tremendous trials and tribulations, I finally managed to finish this piece at ten past two in the morning. The seventh of my Green Room challenges, this piece particularly affected me due to my own prodigious love (not talent, though) for writing. I'm happier than in most cases to be able to share this piece with anyone who's willing to read it.

Submitted for the **Write About Writing** Challenge, part of the RLt's Green Room event. Details for this challenge may be found at The Reviews Lounge, Too forum, under the thread Fall Event: The RLt Green Room.

* * *

**Text It**

Rin rubbed a hand through his hair, absentmindedly thinking that he'd left it really long this year. "Man," he groaned as he put down his pen. "I hate writing papers. Damn literature class. Damn study materials and research and…" His rant devolved into a low-pitched mumble.

"Consider yourself lucky, Nii-san," Yukio said with a smile that was just too friendly. "You have a brother who's a teacher AND your only friend in school is one of the top students. Between the two of us, even you can make something of yourself this year."

"O-oi! Godaiin's not my only friend there!" Rin retorted. He turned to his right. "Tell him, buddy!"

But Godaiin only smiled as well, an expression similar to Yukio's. "Hmm, you don't really talk to Kinoshita-san, even though we compared notes for chemistry last week. And Takemitsu still thinks you're a delinquent and didn't dare look you in the eye when he hit you up for weed and you chewed him out about drug use in front of the whole class."

Rin gasped theatrically. "You traitor!" he whined, waving his fists up and down. He opened and closed his mouth a few times to say something, then finally muttered, "Naoko-san lends me her pencil in math class."

"It's because you always forget it." Godaiin deadpanned, making an annotation in the margin of his paper.

"Nii-san, please follow Godaiin-san's lead and get back to writing your paper," Yukio ordered. He adjusted his glasses.

"Geez, alright already!" said Rin, frowning at the motley assortment of sheets in front of him. He glanced over at Godaiin's work and his jaw dropped comically. "Dude! Don't tell me you're already done?"

"Eh, kinda." But the slim boy didn't seem to be too happy about it. "I'm going to have to look over my notes again. I'm not sure I understood what this one author's viewpoint was. He's not very concise."

"Eh!? You're…you're…_editing_ it, too? I just hand in my first draft and get it over with."

"And oh, how it shows," said Yukio with a heavy sigh. "Please, nii-san. We're at the learning commons to work, so _work_."

"Shut up, you Four-eyes!"

Godaiin took a welcome cup of tea as the brothers' bickering faded into background noise. He focused intently on his paper. The three of them had gone to the learning commons today ostensibly to give Rin a more positive environment to do his paper in. If they all worked together, he wouldn't feel put on the spot. Godaiin tore through his own AP homework at his usual lightning pace, Yukio had brought a veritable tower of reports and forms to sign, and Rin…well, to his credit, Rin had actually finished most of the essay after Godaiin had explained things step by step.

All of them liked the casual environment of the learning commons, located just behind the History building. Large, well-lit, and furnished, it was one of the few study spaces on campus which didn't enforce complete silence. As long as you didn't yell, you were welcome to talk with your peers, making it ideal for group study sessions. Although, Rin's outbursts were hardly at a tone one could call 'conversational.'

"Hey, guys!"

The three of them looked to see who had greeted them.

Konekomaru was carrying what looked to be a set of scrolls under one arm, gesturing to his companion with the other. Standing next to him was a girl at least a head and a half taller, with long, bleached blonde hair.

"This is the president of the Sutra Transcribing Club," the small monk said by way of introduction. Rin, at least, had known of her as the last-minute date Konekomaru had managed to find for the upcoming Cultural Festival's couples-only concert. Greetings were exchanged, and he continued: "The Calligraphy club donated their spare materials to us, so we're holding an open house in club room, if you want to join. Everyone else is already there."

"Ah, that sounds like a fantastic idea, Miwa-san," said Yukio earnestly. "A little break sounds good, no?"

"Whoa, wait, hold the presses!" Rin exclaimed. He pointed dramatically at his brother. "_You_ want to take a break? Who are you and what've you done with Four-eyes?

Yukio arched a brow. "I can't recognize the necessity for some distraction?" he said. "You're being pressured here and need to unwind." He paused, then added under his breath, "That way I'll get my work done faster."

"Ha! I knew it!" Rin grabbed him by the collar. "You're still going to do work, you damn salaryman!"

"Someone around here needs to pay the bills," Yukio said as Rin shook him, unwavering.

"Okumura-kun…" Godaiin chastised gently, putting a warning hand on Rin's shoulder. "He's right, you know. Let's go take a break."

"My, your friends certainly are a lively bunch," said the president to Konekomaru as the other boys quibbled.

"Ah, that's mostly Okumura-san." Konekomaru punctuated his comment with a nervous laugh.

"Why do you still add 'san' after his name?" the president asked, frowning. "I thought you guys were good friends. You speak particularly highly of Okumura."

"Oh…" Konekomaru was taken aback, not sure how to respond. "I've…I've never thought about it," he said. "I'd rather use 'san' for everyone so no one gets offended, right?"

"Geez, you're so formal!" she said with a teasing giggle.

"President!" Konekomaru's face resembled a tomato as he turned several shades redder.

"Okay, let's go, Godaiin!" Rin decided, pumping a fist. "Lead the way, 'Neko! Oh, and don't work yourself sick and make nii-san worry, Yukio!"

"Yes, yes…"

* * *

A full house greeted the group as they entered the classroom reserved for the Sutra Transcribing Club. Everyone was practicing with the brushes, the results varying from hasty scribbles to works that would not look out of place at a shrine or temple.

"This kind of writing looks more fun than what we were doing before," said Rin, examining some of the calligraphy brushes. "You guys think this ink could've been made by a kraken?"

"Not all ink is made by squids," Konekomaru said matter-of-factly, like he was explaining something to a small child. "Most inks today are artificial polymers, anyway."

"Polynomials? We learned about those in math! I remember now!"

"Honestly, Okumura-san…"

The rest of the ExWires were there, too, from what Rin saw, crowded over a desk and watching Suguro's flawless technique.

"I grew up with sutras," the rough-looking boy said gravely. "This is second nature to me." Shiemi squealed in delight, praising him and giving him airs. Rin gave Suguro dirty looks for getting so much attention from the girl he liked, which the other boy returned with a haughty smirk.

"Hmph," said the other girl at the table, dark-haired Izumo. Unlike Shiemi, she wasn't falling for Suguro's performance in the least. "I don't see why I got dragged into this. I'm only here because I had nothing else to do at the time, you know!"

"Now, now, Izumo-chan," said Shima, his voice oily enough to cause a spike in one's cholesterol. Nary a good thought hid behind his smirk. "Girls love a guy who can write them beautiful love letters. Maybe I'll write a little something for you." He showed his teeth.

"Good, I was running short of firewood, anyway."

"Izumo-chan, you wound me!" Shima held a hand to his heart, tears of joy streaming down his face.

"Oh, you guys are here," said Suguro, looking up from his artfully executed brush strokes at Konekomaru's group.

"You did that yourself, eh?" said Rin, examining the scroll. "Amazing!"

"Heh. Don't fall for me now, Okumura." Suguro got up to let Rin have a go at it.

"Who's falling for you?" Rin growled, taking one of the brushes from the table and dipping it in the bowl of ink before trying his hand.

"Careful with that!" Konekomaru warned, noticing how hard Rin was being on the poor brush. "Easy does it. You have to think of the brush as an extension of your hand, Okumura-san."

"L-like this?" Rin muttered. He tried again, being extra-careful this time. In another time, he would've just dismissed such things as frivolous, but calligraphy was special to Konekomaru. He'd promised the little monk he'd be a good friend, and friends respected each other's interests. Therefore, this process was by extension of interest to Rin. His strokes were far from perfect, but they obviously showed more control, more harmony between tool and handler.

"Hmm…I think I'm getting the hang of this," said Rin with a warm smile, feeling the beginnings of success well up inside him. "Even if I don't know what I'm writing. I've just been looking at the example text."

"Are you shitting me?" Suguro said derisively, loudly enough for people at other tables to stare in their direction. "That's not even a sutra! It literally says 'The quick red fox jumps over the lazy brown dog!'"

"I-It does, eh?" Rin scratched the back of his head, embarrassed. He flushed, looking away before muttering something along the lines of how he'd known that all along.

"Really, now, Okumura-kun…" Godaiin finished whatever he was texting on his phone, sighing.

"I think Rin did a lovely job!" said Shiemi, her eyes sparkling. It brought a goofy grin to Rin's face, though Shiemi said much the same thing about everyone's writing. Her own attempt was mediocre, but that didn't detract her in the slightest.

"Honestly, you guys," Izumo scoffed as everyone talked over each other. "It's just writing, at the end of the day. You're all getting excited like a pack of children. I had no idea you were this way!"

"Says the person who won't even pick up a brush," Suguro retorted. He smirked. "What's the matter, Kamiki? You scared of a little calligraphy?"

Izumo turned beet red. "Y-You gorilla!" she exclaimed. "Just watch! Okumura-kun, give me your brush!"

"Uh, okay." Rin barely got the words out before she snatched the brush out from his hand. However, she simply stared at the paper in front of her. The others watched expectantly.

"Whoa, she really can't do it," Suguro taunted. "What was all that just now?"

"Sh-shut up! I'm just…mentally preparing!" Izumo's voice had risen almost to a screechy whine. Rin noticed that her hands were trembling, the brush steadily sliding out of her grip.

"Dummy," he said endearingly. "You don't have to be ashamed to say you have trouble writing." He flashed her a toothy grin. "I have trouble with writing, too, if of a different kind."

"Those two things aren't even the same," Izumo said coldly, though her face softened afterward. "I…I never liked calligraphy as a kid, so I never practiced it, even though I lived at a shrine and had plenty of opportunities."

"Really, now?" Shima smiled at her, and for the first time, his expression wasn't lewd. Well, not entirely. "Bon, 'Neko, and I had to copy out sutras all the time. Only Bon really had a talent for it, though." He turned to the others. "Hey, 'Neko, that's why you joined this club, wasn't it? You wanted to get better at writing sutras?"

"Is that really why?" The president gave Konekomaru a pointed look. "I never would have thought! You're so good at it!" She approached Izumo, taking a hold of the other girl's trembling hands. "Here, we'll write together."

"W-why, you strange woman!" But the insult had no bite behind it. Izumo visibly relaxed as the president guided her hands through the strokes, gasping in pleasant surprise as she used brush and ink to create a greater whole through text.

"S…so beautiful…" she said.

"'The quick red fox jumps over the lazy brown dog,'" Suguro quoted. He barely stifled a snigger. "See? It's not that hard, Kamiki."

"Oh, put a sock in it, you chicken-headed monk!" Izumo wailed, red as a beet.

"Chicken-headed monk? You wanna go, damn _kitsune_?"

The two of them continued bickering while everyone else got a turn at the brushes. Konekomaru and the President were patient teachers, explaining how each stroke came to be shaped the way it was, and the meaning it had. They also talked about the origins of sutras and the functions of some of the more well-known ones.

"Oi, 'Neko," said Rin when the little monk had stepped aside and was watching the others at work again. "You know, I think I understand a little bit more about writing now."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it's just that…it's part of who you were growing up, right? It wasn't like that for me, so maybe that's part of why I don't like it. But it's something more to you."

Konekomaru just blinked at him. "I guess," he said slowly. He frowned. "Wait, are we talking about writing in general, or calligraphy?"

"Isn't calligraphy just a nicer way to write?" Rin said, a wide grin on his face. "You put more effort into it, but you're still saying something with it, just like you are when you're writing…I don't know, a literature paper or something. So, uh, yeah. I'm glad you found this club that you like, 'Neko."

He smiled back. "I get what you mean now, Okumura…Ok- Rin. Thanks."

"Geez, when did you become so eloquent, Okumura-kun?" said Izumo, holding up a brush. "You say the weirdest, most useful things sometimes!"

"What the…?"

"What about me, Izumo-chan?" said Shima, sidling up to her again. "I can say very sweet things."

"You just say weird things."

"So cruel!"

Rin wouldn't ever be aware of just how much his words meant to Konekomaru. For the monk, being able to share his interests and actually see his friends get so enthusiastic over them was reward enough in itself. But Rin had touched upon something more fundamental: for someone who hated writing, he could explain better than anyone why it was so important to people. Just for that, he had Konekomaru's undying respect.

Chuckling to himself, Konekomaru rejoined his friends around the table to write the hours away.


End file.
